Who Flies There? Emerging Legal Issues in Drone Identification and Counter-Drone Technologies

Earlier this month, the Wiley Rein and Signal Group team of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) experts dove into one of the most hotly debated UAS topics of the day – how can we mitigate the risks associated with a drone flying where it does not belong?  In light of the over 770,000 drone registrations recorded since the end of 2015 and various high profile UAS intruder reports in the news, government actors including Congress, the FAA, White House, DHS, and NASA have been considering how to address the security risks associated with drones.  The team discussed two major components of drone mitigation: remote identification of drones and counter-drone technologies. 

On the webinar, the speakers discussed:

• The relevant government actors, their roles, and recent activities

• What to expect from the FAA and Congress following the D.C. Circuit’s striking down of the FAA’s registration requirements for model aircraft

• The impact of federal/state preemption on drone laws

• Why manufacturers of counter-UAS technologies involving jamming RF signals need to take a close look at FCC regulations

• What to expect from the FAA Reauthorization debate currently unfolding in Congress

In case you missed it, audio of the webinar is available here. 

Thanks to our speakers:

• Anna M. Gomez – Partner, Telecom, Media & Technology Practice; Co-Chair, Unmanned Aircraft Systems

• Joshua S. Turner – Partner, Telecom, Media & Technology Practice; Co-Chair, Unmanned Aircraft Systems

• David E. Hilliard – Senior Counsel, Telecom, Media & Technology Practice

• Katy M. Ross – Associate, Telecom, Media & Technology Practice

• Sam Whitehorn – Managing Director, SIGNAL Group